The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[CoopChick719]

Ron, is there any kind of treatment for mice that chew feathers? I'm sure I have that issue in a couple of my coops. Some of my birds look pretty pathetic!

I put traps out and they don't even mess with them at all! Blasted things! I HATE 'em!

Lacy Blues, not sure what your weather is like but if warm enough I'd try a 5 gallon water bucket trap for the mice. I've got rats right now but we are still having freezing temps at night so the water would freeze and they'd just laugh at me while they skated around the bucket doing triple axels

My BRx roo, Flacco, that was hatched in my coop 2 years ago was offered back to me by the friend I had given him to. At the time, I already had a Silkie roo I loved and have since given away because he started crowing in the middle of the night... in the dark of winter. DH said he had to go. So I get Flacco for my sister who lost her roo & and a few hens this winter. DH sees him and says he's a pretty bird. Why don't you keep him? Arghhh, oh IDK maybe because my DH told me No more roosters! I told my sis if he didn't work out, I'd take him back. Well, he's fitting in like he was born there. I'm just happy he's happy and not in a stew pot!! Buttttt now I'm thinking about either finding a roo or hatching a few eggs to get one. I've got 2 broodies in the coop right now!

 

[chicalot]

Any insight welcome...

I have a silkie that is maybe 8 months old. No visible Iinjuries. No signs of respiratory illness. Does have a dirty butt from not getting up. He just sits with his head tucked all day. Can' feel a thing in his crop. I don't think he has pooped in 2-3 days. He eats minimally. I took him some yogurt mixed with his feed and he seems to be putting it away. He'll eat if i coax him to but otherwise just sits puffed up with his he head tucked at least 4 days now. I have him by himself for 2 days now.

 

[ronott1]

Any insight welcome...

I have a silkie that is maybe 8 months old. No visible Iinjuries. No signs of respiratory illness. Does have a dirty butt from not getting up. He just sits with his head tucked all day. Can' feel a thing in his crop. I don't think he has pooped in 2-3 days. He eats minimally. I took him some yogurt mixed with his feed and he seems to be putting it away. He'll eat if i coax him to but otherwise just sits puffed up with his he head tucked at least 4 days now. I have him by himself for 2 days now.

I always start with a course of corid--make sure that he drinks it. If it is cocci they perk up in a day usually. After corid I do not go into great effort but work on palliative care. They are isolated and get vitamins, plain yogurt, scrambled eggs and wet grower feed. They either make it or they do not.

If they are suffering then they are culled.

I hope he gets better!

 

[chicalot]

I don't think he drinks enough if any to treat with corid and I haven't seen any signs at all of bloody stools. He's not even pooping. Wet conditions always give that possibility though. I'm wondering ... if he had been beaked hard in the head and had brain injury could he eat lik e he does. He's coming from a pen of bachelor's and no one else is off. This winter has been hard on them.

 

[ronott1]

I don't think he drinks enough if any to treat with corid and I haven't seen any signs at all of bloody stools. He's not even pooping. Wet conditions always give that possibility though. I'm wondering ... if he had been beaked hard in the head and had brain injury could he eat lik e he does. He's coming from a pen of bachelor's and no one else is off. This winter has been hard on them.

Only one of the strains of cocci cause bloody poops.

If he will not drink, use a dropper to give him some. It does not take much to get them going.

A peck hard enough to cause brain swelling should leave a wound.

 

[chicalot]

Can't hurt to try since im guessing he's all but gone if things don't turn. I'll have my son pick some up.

 

[ronott1]

Can't hurt to try since im guessing he's all but gone if things don't turn. I'll have my son pick some up.

I have read about people using aspirin for silkies with brain injuries. I do not know the dosage and etc. but it might be worth looking into.

 

[chicalot]

I'll check that out too. Corid, yogurt, eggs, and maybe look that up. I'll give him til Saturday or Sunday. Honestly, my husband dies all my dispatching and that's when he'll be available. He took one small drink when i held the bowl up and touched his beak with it and nibbled the eggs. I've seen chickens make big comebacks ya never know

 

[COChix]

@sunflower4you & @flyladyrocks thanks for posting your questions regarding feather picking. I am in the midst of observing our flock as it seems we might have a feather picker and eater as well. It has been hard trying to figure who it is with 24 birds and a roo. Some ladies have saddle sores and some are being pulled out. I did observe our all white EE (Isis) pull feather from two different birds yesterday, during free range time. Still in the observation phases of this trying to figure it out. I am currently feeding a mix of feed between the 16% layer feed and a 20% feed, along with giving probiotics daily, ACV in their waterers greens and for treats some BOSS (not daily). I am hoping the feather picker is not Isis as that is my BF favorites.

 

[ronott1]

I'll check that out too. Corid, yogurt, eggs, and maybe look that up. I'll give him til Saturday or Sunday. Honestly, my husband dies all my dispatching and that's when he'll be available. He took one small drink when i held the bowl up and touched his beak with it and nibbled the eggs. I've seen chickens make big comebacks ya never know

I had a hen acting like that a couple of years ago. I was about to cull her when my middle daughter talked me into giving her one more day.

She went on to make a full recovery!

There is hope--especially if he is eating and drinking.